Chandelier
by Wild Blood Rose
Summary: How could he not see her? There fair Juliet lay, but Romeo's eyes wre not in hers... how could she live with his death?


**A/N: This is sorta a take on Baz Lurman's film, as I thought i was excellent, though naturally the brilliant playwright here is Shakespeare. Obviously i dont own the film rights, or the play. Although, did you know that at the time of writing, even Shakey himself didnt know about playjeurism? Strange, that. Anyhoo, written with the film's scenes in mind, and with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio as the parts. **

The footsteps were the first sound, hard boot nails on the marble floor, clicking up toward her, where she lay.

Juliet had been awake for three minutes prior to hearing the large door to the church swing open. She hadn't expected to hear the noise itself, but she had quickly deciphered the noise: her eyes were shut, and she couldn't open them. She also knew that her chest wasn't rising, though air was gently seeping in through her nose, a subtle intake that barely gave enough oxygen for her to carry on listening, but Juliet knew the footsteps, clacking on the floor, far apart and evenly spaced.

Romeo.

His voice was soft, so near her, that she longed to let her eyes spring open, to look at him, to touch him. 'Please, please…'

Something inside her jolted, and gave her the energy to force her eyes open. The lids yielded and the world came to her, grey and bleak, and then a flurry of white and candles and light, and yellow all around. There was no strength in her to turn her head, but she had what it took to focus her gaze to the ceilings of the church, where great swirling patterns curled around small cherubs and great bright eyed angels, their wingspans stretching further than the hem of the cloth that swathed them.

Before her, a chandelier hung over her body, and she looked up into the mirrored pieces. Someone had dressed her hair in flowers, pinks and reds twisted elegantly into golden waves, her blue eyes sparkling in the light of the hundreds of candles.

Dressed in white linen, a veil lay over her neck and shoulders, as if it were a wedding and not a funeral.

She tried to turn her head, but her neck was too stiff, and she gasped in frustration.

Through his sobs, Romeo did not see, and Juliet could not make him. Instead, he reached and took one of her cold hands in his he kissed it, holding it to his face, still wet, his head still bent.

Juliet felt her finger, one from the hand still lying on her breast, twitch. Her breath came faster… but Romeo was speaking above his own desperate sobs.

'Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou so fair? Shall I believe that unsubstantial death is amorous; And that the lean abhorred monster keeps thee here in dark to be his paramour?'

Juliet twitched her toes, flexed her feet.

_What is it, my love? Can thou not see mine eyes? They are open! Come, share their light, so I may kiss your face and arms and love thee!_

'Will I set up my everlasting rest?'

_No! Did the message not reach you by the hour?_

She struggled against the stiffness in her body, but she was so tired… so weary, and he was there… so close, and she was dumb!

In frustration she gasped, but as she did, Romeo mumbled, through his sobs and bitter tears.

'Arms, take your last embrace! And lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargain to engrossing death!'

'No!' Juliet's jaw was numb, but she choked the word out. He did not hear, his eyes on the ground, her hand still pressed to his streaming face.

'Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick wary bark!'

He sat up, holding her hand, looking now to the ceiling,

Laying down the sword he had entered with, blood on the blade, he stooped to unlatch a vial from his belt.

So small, the dosage looked to be but a sample of perfume, the poisonous looking green would surely make the owner smell like a rose!

'Here's to my love!' Romeo bit out the cork and held it aloft.

Juliet screamed, but not aloud, inside her heart wrenched through the curtain of paralysis. She squeased his hands so hard the knuckles cracked under her soft fingers, and he looked down, just as she cried, a raucous, desperate cry, 'Romeo!'

The eyes, startling blue as her own widened, his mouth agape, tears blooming in his eyes, he dropped the vial and shook, quaking as he collapsed over her, head buried into her, and she held him, tears of relief soaking his hair, kissing him so forcefully she was afraid if she stopped he would fall away.

So desperately they clung to one another, so desperate that separation would be imminent.

'Never,' Romeo mumbled softly, soaking the gown with his tears.

'I love you.' Juliet returned, eyes burning with deepest love she pulled his face up to meet hers, and his fingers fumbled through her hair as he leaned in and kissed her desperately, terrified she'd be gone if he let go for even a second. 'And I love you.' Romeo cried, his breath raw with emotion. 'Part us not, family, oh bless thee Juliet, I did believe my heart was gone!'

'Stay with me.' Juliet whispered. 'Stay with thy head here and let us whisper the days away to heaven.'

'This is heaven.' He sobbed.


End file.
